Member Insurance Hires Former Do it Best VP

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Member Insurance Agency, Inc. has announced the appointment of Jay Brown as Account Ambassador. In this newly-created role, Brown will be working with major retail businesses in the hardware store, lumber dealer, and building material dealer industries throughout North America.

Brown retired from Do it Best Corp. in December 2016 after capping a successful career of more than 30 years in the retail home improvement industry. With annual sales of $3 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving more than 3,800 member-owned locations in the United States and in 54 other countries.

Brown joined Do it Best Corp. in 2004 as Vice President of Merchandising before becoming Vice President of Sales and Business Development three years later. During that time, he was instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous strategic, member-focused programs and other retail-performance enhancements designed to help current members grow their businesses while also attracting new members to the co-op.

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In addition to leading the co-op’s team of professional sales consultants, Brown oversaw the Do it Best Corp. Retail Performance and INCOM Distributor Supply teams, as well as its International division and member services department, helping the co-op grow sales annually while maintaining its consistently high member rebates.

Brown has spent his entire career serving the home improvement industry. Early on, he worked for a 3-store chain affiliated with Our Own Hardware (who merged with Hardware Wholesalers, Inc. in 1998 to form Do it Best Corp.). Prior to joining the Do it Best team, Brown spent 20 years at the Valspar Corporation in numerous leadership roles, including national sales and marketing manager and senior general manager.

As Account Ambassador, Brown will focus on growing the Member Insurance portfolio and relationships with independent retailers.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Jay,” said Scott Reynolds, CEO of Member Insurance Agency, Inc. “Jay’s experience as a senior leader at Do it Best Corp. and his broad knowledge of the co-op hardware store industry make him an excellent person to fill this new and very important role.”

LBM Journal is the leading media company serving lumberyards, building material distributors, wholesalers, manufacturers, and service providers — otherwise known as the lumber/building material (LBM) distribution channel.